Japanese goishi cha and shu pu'er tea bag review

Kind of an odd theme, comparing two versions of tea bag teas, which aren't quite as similar as they might be at first glance.  This Japanese tea probably is goishi cha, but it was only represented as a version of Japanese tea closest to sheng pu'er, but not sheng pu'er, from the source. 

Kittichai of Jip Eu (a local Bangkok shop) gave me some in a visit a month or so ago.  He didn't seem to love it, and it is on the strange side.  It tastes a little like seaweed, and it's slightly sour (they were brewing some that day, so I've already tried it).

there again with a nice visitor from Belgium yesterday, Dennis

Related to that identification this recent group thread discussing Japanese teas in relation to sheng pu'er might help place things.  To be clear I'm not claiming this is definitely goishi cha; it may well be an attempt at replicating sheng, a hybrid style, that didn't land too close.  It is whatever it is.  It finding it's way into a tea bag isn't a great sign; it may not be the best version of whatever it is.

This citation from the My Japanese Green Tea blog fills in more of what goishi cha is, which it seems likely this is:

Goishicha (碁石茶, go stone tea) is a rare Japanese dark (post-fermented) tea made in Ōtoyo Town, Kochi prefecture.

It’s classified as a type of bancha, although it’s not a green tea...

...This tea goes through two fermentation steps, one by mold and the other one by lactic acid bacteria.  In the second fermentation process, the tea is pickled. That’s why it has its distinctive sour taste.

Although it was mostly used as an ingredient in chagayu (a Japanese rice porridge with tea), nowadays people have begun to drink it as any other tea.


That last idea about it not being a good sign that the Japanese tea is even in a tea bag leads into the next tea, the one I'll compare it to, a tea-bag version of shu pu'er.  I've passed those in two different grocery stores here (in Bangkok), Dayi / Taetea versions (maybe only sheng?), and it never really crossed my mind to buy the tea.  For the sake of reporting on it I might someday, I just wouldn't have high expectations related to that.  It's odd thinking of what tea material that didn't make the cut to be pressed into the cheapest Dayi cakes would be like.

between $8 and $10, but pricing isn't the issue

A vendor sent this along with an order, as a free sample (Chawang Shop).  That's crazy, isn't it, sending a tea enthusiast tea bags?  Or a tea blogger; that's a strange way to seek attention. There seems to be two ways of taking that, as a way to provide access to something unusual that's more interesting and pleasant than it might sound, or as an insult, a critique of someone's taste in tea.  Being as generous as I am I just suspend judgment about that part.  It could be good aged, low grade tea dust.  It lists the raw material production date as April 2010.  That changes things a little, doesn't it?  If highly compressed cakes or tuochas age slower tea bag tea would have to age fastest.  It's too bad it's not sheng; aging transitions shu less.

Comparing the two probably won't turn up much for relevant overlap or one informing the experience of the other.  It's as much about getting two tea-bag versions of teas out of the way in one review.  They both sound interesting, if unconventional and probably limited in degree of promise (one I've tried--that's all the more true for that).

As to methodology I'll preheat two tea cups and brew both using two tea bags, in about 6 ounces / 200 ml of water (not measured, if that matters).  My intention is to brew the first round between 2 and 2 1/2 minutes and the second for about 3 minutes, depending on results the first time.  I suppose it would be possible to "Gong Fu" brew these, using 3 or 4 tea bags and short dips in the water.  It all feels a bit off the map.

Review:

shu:  it's shu.  That kind of works as a two-word review, not only in this case but often enough for shu.  I like shu but it's on the more basic side compared to sheng.  Subleties, complexity, and variations occur across a narrower scope.

It's not bad though.  Cocoa stands out most; that's a good start.  This would already resolve a lot of people new to shu having a problem with the off flavors; it has none.  The warm, rich, earthy flavor that identifies shu as shu is present, in the range of dark wood, shifted a little towards peat.  From there it's a bit non-distinct.  It would be a stretch but someone with the right type of imagination could just keep on going, listing out dried fruit, root spices, specific mineral undertones, and so on.  It's not as if it only tastes like cocoa and that dark wood / peat range, there's more complexity to it, but the rest is mixed and unidentifiable.

Feel is ok; it has some thickness, and the feel range is pleasant.  Aftertaste isn't typically that pronounced in shu, compared to other tea types, but it's intense enough and doesn't vanish immediately.  To me this seems like decent shu, just nothing to noteworthy or exceptional.  It may have had more for distinct character and rough edges earlier in it's existence, with those evening out to add more depth instead over that 9 1/2 years.  The depth is fine.


Japanese tea (possibly goishi, potentially a sheng hybrid style):  it's not bad.  That's an odd way to start a review, affirming a tea isn't bad, and there are positives and negatives, with novelty making a read on that relate to a mismatch to any expectations as much as an objective, neutral assessment.  It's only slightly sour, and I'm not "getting" as much seaweed as seemed to have emerged in a later round trying it at that shop.  Spice is a main flavor aspect, not so far off clove, but it's not that.  It might be a mix of spice range flavors, so including a touch of clove but also cardamom, and probably a more neutral root spice too. 

It's hard to place.  This is nothing like sheng, nothing like any tea type that comes to mind.  A flavor list might help explain that.  A trace of sourness isn't primary but it stands out for being odd, and that spice might be the strongest, most "forward" flavor aspect.  A warm base flavor around the range of cured hay grounds that, but that leans a little towards vegetal range, so maybe cured hay with just a touch of roasted bitter melon.  It's not as bitter as sour, but both are there in a very light form.  The warmth of the tone makes it hard to place in relation to other teas; it's in between conventional somewhat aged sheng (how those often are after 4 or 5 years) and a mild black tea.  That also relates to a mineral base addition, not nearly as strong as is very common in sheng, and in a different form.

The feel is a little odd; no surprise given that flavor list part, right?  It has a limited fullness to it, and a hint of dryness, but no structure that is similar to other tea types, nothing conventional.

I think I'll use a faster infusion time to see how that works out, around a minute instead, and then give these a long soak and see what's left of them.  I can't imagine that the shu is "going anywhere," but we'll see.  Back on brewing methodology I didn't mention that I'd been dunking them a little.  It's funny reviewing tea bag teas.

Second infusion:

shu:  being prepared quite light didn't help this tea, and it didn't seem to develop at all.  It's just a lighter brewed version this time.  It's decent, drinkable tea, just not exceptional in any way.  It's much better than I expected; this is average range shu.  Well above average, if someone has been drinking cheap shu, but I tend to run across good versions instead. 

A faint hint of citrus might be emerging; that is different.  I like shu brewed a bit stronger than most other tea types so I might be judging this unfairly based on brewing it in opposition to my own type preferences on this round.


goishi cha (if it is that):  I think this improved a lot related to me being more familiar with the range from drinking that first cup, more than related to any actual transition.  It might be better prepared lighter, and the initial sourness might have faded some.  To be clear that had been quite moderate, and if someone had any tolerance at all for sourness in tea it could be seen as well-balanced.  I could also relate to not having any tolerance for it; that flavor range is unusual, in other tea types.  An unconventional sheng version I've been drinking a little of (tried twice, but I own a cake of it) is a little sour, and I've ran through the exact same concern and cycle with that.

Some of the positive range seemed to bump a bit, I think.  The spice ramped up, and the warmth of a cured hay range plays a slightly larger role.  The feel is fine, not so unusual, just not exactly typical either.  The dryness faded and a slight fullness added in.  Other than being a very unusual tea it's pleasant.  Or strange instead, if a negative bias pairs with that particular form of novelty.

Third infusion:

It's not looking so promising; both are brewing a bit light already.

shu:  this really could've used another 4 minutes.  It's still pleasant though, and at least the flavor and character isn't going off in any way, beyond thinning.  For 4 grams of tea-bag tea it performed much better than I expected.  Shu is inexpensive enough that it makes sense to me to find slightly better versions than this if you are going to drink it, but this is reasonable.


goishi:  sourness is picking up; this is probably closer to where I drank it that time in that shop.  I've not really noticed seaweed so far, as I did then, but it would apply a lot more as a description in this round than in the past two.  Savory character seems to have bumped up a lot.  It had some of that range in the earlier rounds but it wasn't that notable, and the other unconventional flavors stood out even more. 

It's not the really notable umami in sheng and gyokuro but it's not completely unrelated either.  Going back again and trying this tasting over while more familiar with the tea (flavors, overall effect) I'd probably list that as a main component for those first two rounds, only leaving it out for being absorbed by the novelty of the rest. 

I like it.  I don't love it, and I'd not go out of my way to explore this range further, to see how even better versions come across, but it's pleasant and interesting.  I've had the experience many times of trying new tea versions and them just not clicking, and then once I try a better version it all just makes sense, and even those lower quality versions seem better after that.  An epiphany, I guess one might call that experience, a sudden grasp of insight.  That might well happen in this case too.  Shu is probably like that, to some extent, and sheng definitely would be.  For me Wuyi Yancha worked out that way; even though I always liked the moderate quality, dark toffee with cardboard-aspect versions once I tried a better one it all made that much more sense.

these leaves don't look so bad, freed from that tea bag, just an unusual color

An interesting thing came up trying to brew a couple more rounds out of these later:  the shu had kind of had it but the goishi (or whatever it was) brewed with plenty of intensity and was even more pleasant.  The sourness had faded and a good bit of citrus picked up, as a notable part of the experience.  I stretched it for two more rounds and it probably could've went one or two more, even though it was tapering off a bit. 

I bet with the tea bag cut open, brewed Gongfu style in a gaiwan, this tea wouldn't be bad at all.  The sourness could seem odd, or off, but related to working through that expectation with an unusual version of sheng any hint of that doesn't have to be clearly awful.

Very interesting experiences!  Many thanks to those two vendors for passing these on to try.

Hong Tai Chang 1988 Thai sheng

This tea version was shared by the owner of Tea Side, which is much appreciated.  I've tried very little relatively old sheng like this, so I'll keep this intro short and move onto a description.  It will be a good opportunity to let the vendor offer his opinion in more complete citation:


1988 Yuen Neun Hong Tai Chang Aged Raw Pu-erh Tea Cake


The original old sheng from the famous brand Hong Tai Chang. Delivered directly from the warehouse of the factory, where it was produced and stored since 1988. It’s already more than 30-year-old pu-erh tea.

This sheng is made from old Thai trees of Chiang Rai province in northern Thailand. The pu-erh was made exactly at the factory from which the brand Hong Tai Chang had started to walk around the world.

We are well aware of the Thai Pu-erh "kitchen" from the inside and are convinced that the traditions of Hong Tai Chang (and of course the original material from old trees) are owned by different pu-erh factories in Thailand...


There's more there related to the issue of diversity of sources and authenticity, including the remark "Hong Tai Chang is one of the most frequently forged tea brands." 

I'm reminded of writing about the Xiaguan "Love Forever" cake recently, created in 2013 from older material, so very recently in comparison, about how there were two relatively identical versions produced (differing greatly in character, reportedly) that were only wrapped in a different tong wrapper, one paper and one bamboo.  In that case varying storage condition issues seemed to diversify experienced outcomes a lot as well. 

On to that Tea Side description of this tea character:

The taste is distinct and clear with the richest palette of hues of the wood-nut spectrum and the noble aroma of old age Chen Xiang (陈 香, Chén Xiāng). Infusion is smooth and easy to drink. Cha Qi is dense but delicate. The power of the material, amazing stamina, softness and density of the liquor gain endless respect for these samples of the classic puer tradition of Hong Tai Chang...


That listing includes a link to a video review by the guys at TeaDB (which I've not seen yet), and a positive comment by Emmett Guzman, a name that might be familiar to some.  Good signs, but personal experience is a better yardstick, even for someone with more limited related prior exposure. 

It's interesting how the two product reviews there that include flavor-aspect evaluation vary so much, and don't necessarily match my own.  The general character described is very common between the three; that's how it goes with such interpretations.

Review:

I tasted the rinse to see where this is coming from and a bit of char or related milder carbon was present; the tea has seemingly aged to quite well fermented.  I'll probably go a little longer on the first two infusions than I normally would to clear past that, not so much over 5 seconds, but stopping short of using very fast infusion times.

First infusion:  hard to say if this is clearer, but it's pleasant as it is.  A very "dark" range aged tree bark is closest to that carbon-like range, which again I expect to clear off relatively quickly.  Beyond that aged furniture flavor and other range typical to aged sheng joins that, well roasted chestnut leaning towards dried fruit.


Second infusion:  it's transitioning well, and quickly.  The roasted chestnut range is much clearer.  Next the obvious difference in people drinking and describing teas comes up, that there is a standard expected pattern of drinking tea for taste, then for mouth-feel and aftertaste aspects, then later for effect of the tea more, the cha qi theme.  Feel of this is soft; all of the compounds giving young sheng that aggressive feel have transitioned.  It has a rich fullness to it, and that flavor trails over, but that effect will change a lot as this opens up.

Maybe it's just my imagination but I think that I can feel this already, not even finished with the second cup.  The dry leaf amount was in between what I would normally drink and not quite to double that so I used all of it, a judgement that usually goes the other way (and maybe should have in this case).  I would hate to be stretching the infusions and preparing this in atypical form, but in short timeframe retrospect drinking a dozen rounds is probably going to be way too much, and I'll probably really be feeling it halfway to that point.  I have some time off, since it's a Thai holiday, but my wife will be starting in about going to a shop somewhere for some errand, always.  We'll see how it goes.

Third infusion:  part of the sweetness resembles marshmallow; that's cool.  Flavor may not be the main thing a lot of "advanced" sheng drinkers would be focused on but that part is pleasant, complex and unique.  I probably over-use "unique" as a description; this really is different.  The way this is so clean already, and combines that marshmallow with roasted chestnut and hints toward dark dried fruit is very nice.


Fourth infusion:    I think next round it might be more where it's going to, which is probably going to be a long transition path.  I am using relatively fast infusion times for this, around 5 seconds.  For using a relatively high proportion of tea even that's a bit long, a bit on the intense side.  This would be great as flash infusions; maybe I'll try one after the next round.

Not so different; again that marshmallow touch is nice, a great addition to the rest.  The roasted chestnut is picking up sweetness, adding more in the toffee range.  One aspect I can't really identify is how I'd imagine betel nut to be, an odd mix two different Chinese herbs people chew together that results in a dark spit that you don't swallow, if I'm remembering that right.  It's something unfamiliar, at any rate.


Fifth infusion:  with the pour this might have brewed five seconds; still not on the light side.  I'm definitely feeling this.  It's a heady buzz but also with a lot of body feel.  It's probably a good thing I had breakfast before this, or I might be tapping out right about now.

As happens with every tea the flavor range shifts, the aspects balance, for going slightly faster, but it's not so different.  I've not been doing justice to the role dark wood plays in this.  It's like a mix of how mahogany and driftwood comes across, heavy in rich flavor (or aroma) and also mineral undertone.  Then the rest I keep repeating.  The higher end note that is in marshmallow range is picking up a hint of citrus as well; that's different.  I could relate to a description that's just a list of dried fruits instead; dried tamarind and dried dark cherry would make sense.  There's a lot going on for flavor layered in together, and expectations would naturally lead someone to identify the parts they were already expecting.


Sixth infusion:  more of the same really; maybe as well to take a round off describing this.


Seventh:  this really has settled into where it will be in these middle infusions, it seems.  It's pleasant, interesting in flavor and other character, clean and complex, definitely intense.  The hint of citrus is probably changing character and level a bit, more clearly an orange zest at this stage, more distinct.

This is not a tea to drink in a hurry.  I'm not supposed to be in a hurry, but of course my wife not only has something she wants to do, there's a driving need to get on with it.  The effect works much better for relaxing and appreciating the cool feel to the day (maybe 25 C / 75 F now, so room temperature, but cool for me), and the colors and sounds outdoors.  I'm doing that, I just don't have long to go in keeping it up.


Eighth:  I'll try the first longer brewed infusion for staring around at things outside so much, brewed much longer, well over 20 seconds.  That effect is cool too, the blast of mellow intensity.  All of those flavors I'd listed had taken turns to be dominant but none really dropped out, beyond the range cleaning up over the first 2 to 3 rounds.  It's complex.  I'd expect that hint of citrus to get pushed out of the way by the heavier, earthier range (when brewed for so long) but it ramps up in the same proportion.


Ninth:  maybe that citrus hung in there brewed strong because it was still ramping up.  This is definitely a dried version of orange zest; that drying process drops off the brightness but leaves behind plenty of related flavor.

It's interesting comparing this fermentation effect to that of shu.  I can see why it's not a completely different thing, for a version that is completely fermented like this.  It's just as unrelated as it is the same though.  Lighter, subtle versions of shu can be closer to this than most, which taste like peat and the like.  One part is earthy, for sure, but range in between earth and mineral is closer to root spices of some sort, not far off how ginseng comes across, that's just not exactly it.  This is really clean, even though the descriptions I keep using probably don't sound it (well roasted chestnut, dark wood, etc.).

The feel from the tea is changing, less of a head buzz but still well centered in both my head and body.  It's lightening a little, while still intensifying at the same time.  I'm not really into "cha qi" feels like that but it is notable.  As with thinking that bitter and sweet sheng is very pleasant it leads me to consider whether it would have to be interpreted as positive or not.  I'm mostly against any and all drug use, pulling my own bias in that direction, away from embracing anything related.  It's not exactly like being stoned (on weed), but also not completely dis-similar.  Of course there is weed for that, or tranquilizers, stimulants, etc.


Tenth:  it's nice how the root spice and citrus keep ramping up, with a hint of dried fruit around the range of dried tamarind, making this much less earthy at this stage.  It's not losing intensity, more changing in form.  In a sense the taste was stronger before, so that doubling timing to 20 seconds or so would maintain that level, if desired.  This works well light though, not really all that light for brewing for just over 5 seconds.

11:  I brewed this for around 10 seconds; that might be where I like it best at this stage.  I don't think I'll get to try another half dozen infusions to "see this through;" I'm a few warnings in that it's time to go.  Apparently we're off to see a "Lego museum," whatever that is.  This hasn't changed enough to warrant repeating the round 10 description anyway, and probably will brew a few more similar rounds prior to later cycle transition and extending timing changing things a little.

I think I'll drop the notes and just drink the tea.  What to add as a conclusion?  It's an interesting experience, pleasant and novel.  This is definitely not a breakfast tea; rushing through a dozen rounds would make no sense at all, and I've been at the edge for rushing things a little taking over an hour to drink part of it.

Conclusions:

Thinking back on that it seems likely that the extent to which you "feel" a tea might relate a lot to what you expect.  One could probably mindfully, with a lot of pre-conceptions, drink a strong mug of Lipton and seem to have a lot of whatever experience they expect as a result; calming, a real lift, whatever it is.  Maybe caffeine and theanine always really combine to support both.  Spending an hour just drinking tea and relaxing outside on a cool morning should feel energizing and relaxing, maybe even without the tea.

A second point, not so closely tied but not completely unrelated:  no matter what someone experiences related to tea, or prefers, or expects, it seems that someone else would comment that to them that experience isn't valid, or in line with what they understand related to that particular tea (or subject theme, etc.).  This was highlighted in a discussion about tea and cults in a Facebook group recently, a subject I wrote about not long ago. 

Half the people responding seemed completely against mixing tea experience and religion / formal ceremony, or wearing flowing, naturally dyed robes as a shared group aesthetic choice.  The other half (roughly speaking) were for all of that.  That's an oversimplification that people inclined towards either side (bias) could object to, with good reason, but still at the core that seems to be what was happening.  Specific types of liberal and conservative biases seemed to be the main perspective foundation, not the specific details being discussed.  A couple of comments made that explicit:  people said they didn't even need to hear the details, or click a link, to know where they stood, that a few short phrases of description already painted enough picture for them.

And what?, one might ask.  It's just an observation, and one that ties back to the "cha qi" theme clearly enough that it seems unnecessary to flesh that out.  Plenty of pu'er enthusiasts would be open to cha qi experience as valid without embracing ceremonial aspects of tea drinking.  But without actually trying this particular tea it seems impossible to critique what experience should have resulted, if any one description is well-grounded or based partly in imagination.  It gets a bit far into philosophy but I'd interpret all our life experience as based partly in preconceptions, which isn't far from a claim that our own ideas (/ framing) are a main experiential input along with external "raw data."

At any rate it was cool trying an older sheng version.  I haven't tried many 30 year old sheng versions at all (maybe only one?) so I'm really not the right person to place it, related to any of the experience aspect range.  I found it interesting and quite pleasant.

slightly creepy science museum display

on a green screen effect background (with Kalani representing Penn State that day)

Legos did come up

2019 Bao Shan Ye Sheng Hongcha (Dian Hong)

A bit atypical, I'll start with the vendor's take on a tea I bought with a recent order:  Chawang Shop description:


Baoshan is one of largest wild tree (ye sheng cha) area in Yunnan. Growing wild and naturally in the forest. 

This material come from April harvest, processed as red tea in small batches. 

The taste is rich, full, sweet, no astringency. Complex and rich aroma. 

This tea can be keep for long time in dry place and larger quantity (500g or more)

Harvest Area : Baoshan

Production date : April 2019


There really should be more rambling on about what the category or location relates to, or my feelings about this. 

Maybe as well to skip that once in awhile, especially since I get around to plenty of that in the review sections.

Review:

This tea has an amazing dry leaf smell, very warm, sweet, and fruity, heavy on peach.  It could pass for a Mi Lan Xiang Dan Cong, although the tone is probably a bit warm for that.


First infusion:  a bit light; that can happen, not attempting to compensate for the tea needing to open up with use of a longer infusion time.  It's possible to rinse black teas to speed that up but I don't; that relates to throwing away part of the first infusion, seen one way.  This is rich and fruity, but I'll leave off writing out a list until the second round.  And I'll let this brew for 15 to 20 seconds, even though the proportion is higher than I'd usually go that long for, to let it really open up.

Second infusion:  this isn't what I expected, much more savory in range than seemed likely.  It's quite pleasant, just unusual in that regard.  It includes sweetness, and some fruit in that peach range, but also a lot of warm mineral depth, which extends towards a mineral effect close enough to table salt.  The fruit comes across as dried fruit.  I guess potentially as dried peach, matching the dry leaf scent, but warmer, more like dried tamarind (or both; it's complex).

A part of the profile seems to be missing, and I'm wondering if my own sense of taste isn't related to that.  I first got a cold 8 days ago, and was pretty much over it 4 or 5 days back, but this cold weather seems to be affecting me.  It's only around 25 C out now (77 F), which really isn't that cold, but getting down to a nightly low of 18 C (64 F) makes for an unusual experience.  We've finally stopped using air conditioning at night, because that's below where we typically set it, so I'm getting some feel for that as an inside temperature.  Anyway, my sinuses could be clearer.

This isn't a tea sample; I bought 100 grams of this along with re-ordering some favorites from that earlier order from Chawang Shop.  Those were all relatively inexpensive sheng versions that had a lot of promise related to aging potential, so not teas I'll get to anytime soon, with other cake or tuocha versions (in one case) already started from an earlier order that I'll try from time to time.  Given how Dian Hong usually goes this probably didn't cost a lot, but it was a good buy regardless of whether it did or not.  It's complex, interesting, and pleasant; no need to see how infusions continue to judge that.

Third infusion:   I went with a faster infusion, just going by instinct, brewing this for just short of 15 seconds.  The fruit has evolved to include a nice hint of citrus, in the form of orange zest.  The interesting thing about this tea is how complex and balanced it is while being unconventional and missing part of what I'd expect.  There's no cocoa in this, no roasted yam, no cinnamon, no mild malt.  It isn't that far off roasted sweet potato; I could relate to someone interpreting this as that, listing it as a primary flavor.  Maybe it's closer to those Japanese sweet potatoes, even lighter in flavor than the version I was familiar with back in the US.

There is a bit of spice that's not so far off cinnamon; it's interesting how per a differing read this could just be roasted sweet potato with cinnamon, while I'm saying it's something else altogether.  Dried tamarind stands out as closest to a main flavor aspect to me, along with warm mineral trailing slightly into salt range, and then some roasted root vegetable probably is next (sweet potato, or something else). 

Thickness is pleasant; feel is a nice supporting aspect.  It's smooth though, there is no astringency to it whatsoever, no dryness or roughness.  The flavors come across as clean, and intense, with enough intensity it carries over to an aftertaste effect as well.  I've not done justice to describing what is missing, and putting it that way doesn't completely work.  It's not so far off Dan Cong in character; this is light as black teas go, rich and complex, but just not in that "darker" warmer range, into mild malt and cocoa, etc.  To me that's not negative or positive, beyond being really interesting, which is positive.  It will be interesting to read what the vendor makes of this.  Probably next to nothing [that was it, not one taste description, other than "sweet"]; if teas aren't easy to describe vendors tend to just use less concepts, while I go the other way.

I'll let the next round run for 20 seconds and see what it's like a little stronger.  It doesn't need that, and it would work really well to drink every infusion on the light side instead for this tea.

Fourth infusion:  it's pleasant this way; both ways, really.  That warm mineral base really stands out more brewed a little stronger.  A limited range citrus note still really pops.  It's just a fragment of the overall experience but it carries more subjective weight for being novel and interesting, and for complementing the rest well.  It's funny how fruit in the range of peach does make up part of this experience but not to the extent the dry tea smell implied.  Dried tamarind still seems stronger.

To me it would be a waste to let this sit and drink it as an aged tea because those high notes really add a lot to the experience, and they would fade (I think; it's a long transition from passing on informed guesses to likelihoods, and I'm still in the middle).  It's already warm, rich, and complex, with plenty of depth, so there is no need to develop that further.  There is a chance this was a sun-dried tea version and the part I'm describing as missing (or not describing, really) is the way those come out just a little flat in terms of character, which they pick back up within 2 to 3 years of aging.  This might be even better in 2 years, more intense instead of less.  I had meant more that it doesn't need 5 to 7 years to change to be something else (slightly; it won't change much as sheng transition goes).

Per the theory if this is an oven dried black tea this is as intense as this will ever be, and if it's sun-dried it will gain depth and ramp up intensity over that 2 year time span.  It's odd that a Laos black tea I just tried is more in mainstream character and aspect range than this, for Dian Hong style, but then those naturally vary, and being more like more other versions isn't meaningful.  This seems a bit more refined, with more depth, probably slightly better tea.  Personal preference is sort of the main yardstick for that, so it remains a judgement call.

Fifth infusion:  the flavors list isn't conveying how pleasant this comes across.  An initial impression, even five rounds in, is "man, this is good."  It's hard to say why that is.  That flavor could be more intense, the range is really interesting but it could be more complex, thickness is quite pleasant but not overly remarkable.  It all just really works together. 

I'm sure it has a couple of additional rounds to go without losing any pleasantness, and I'll stretch it until it won't make any more.  Even in the next round the hint of citrus isn't fading, or losing ground to the rest.  If anything that trace of spice may be picking up.  Feel isn't thick or structured but the moderate feel range it does express is novel and positive, a bit velvety.  Whoever made this knew what they were doing.

More naturally grown teas typically do have interesting, complex flavors and are milder in character, just as this is.  That mineral depth can relate to a plant source being a bit older.


On the whole I love it.  It's basic in one sense and very distinctive and unique in another, and that balance of character and aspects works really well per my preference.

I bet if I went back through and tasted this a couple of more times I'd use different descriptions in the write-up.  I never did pin down that sweetness as much as I might have, and probably would list out toffee or something such as an aspect.  Shifting parameters a little would give different results; the actual aspects experienced could change, along with interpretation.  This version exemplifies why I love black teas in this style.